La Grange Spent Nearly $3M On Lawyers Fighting Quarry Over Stormwater Project

LA GRANGE, IL – After confusion at a meeting a day earlier, La Grange on Tuesday detailed how more than $5 million was spent on a long-awaited stormwater project.

At the meeting, a resident asked about $5.2 million listed in the village's audit as going toward "Construction in Progress" for the 50th Street storm sewer. No shovels are in the ground.

Village President Mark Kuchler tried to get answers from the administration and the auditor. One official indicated the money was for "preliminary costs"; the auditor said he would look into it.

In response to a Patch inquiry Tuesday, Kuchler said the village had spent $2.9 million on legal fees and $2.1 million on engineering.

The spending dates back to 2023, he said.

"To clarify, there wasn’t uncertainty on how the money was spent; it was in regards to the calculating of the Construction in Progress amount," Kuchler said in an email.

He said the $5.2 million number represents the cost of the initial stages of a multiyear construction project.

The village estimates the overall project will cost $37.8 million.

In September, La Grange prevailed over McCook quarry owner Heidelberg Materials in long-running litigation. As a result, the village can now install a pipeline across the quarry. In the early 1990s, the company severed it, officials say.

Monday's meeting included Kuchler's effort to get answers on the $5.2 million. Later, Kuchler differed with a resident who criticized the village manager for lacking answers about the money. Kuchler contended the resident wanted to get soundbites in Patch.

The meeting video was on the village's YouTube page Monday morning, but disappeared later.

The link remains, but the video is labeled as unlisted.

"The video inadvertently included a lower-thirds graphic that indicated the Village Board meeting was a Plan Commission meeting," Village Manager Jack Knight said in an email to Patch. "The video has been taken down by the Village’s video production providers pending an edit to the video to reflect the proper meeting group. It will be reposted once the edits have been completed."